This column raises an interesting question for me: it alludes
to Hammett's having been asked to participate in the lynching
of labour organiser Frank Little. Is there any legitimacy to
this story? Of course, Hammett had been a Pinkerton, and the
Pinkertons were bloodthirsty anti-labour thugs. However, from
what I can tell:
--No scholarly treatment of Little's murder (as opposed to
treatment of Hammett) mentions Hammett's role or, for that
matter, the Pinkertons' role, in it.
(See for example, A. Gutfeld, Montana's Agony: Years of War
and Hysteria, 1917-1921 (U P of Florida, chapter 3.)
--Hammett was likely not stationed in Butte at this time, but
later.
--The provenance of this story seems to be Lillian Hellman,
who recalled that Hammett had told her it while they were
courting years ago.
So my question is, without underestimating the importance of
being an anti-labour vigilante in Hammett's development, is
there any reason to think that his (or Hellman's) story about
Little was actually true?
Thanks,
Jacob
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